Professor. Dr. Frank Huysmans Professor of Library Science, Media Studies, University of Amsterdam 

This is why we matter! LIS: outcomes & comparative research EDGE 2019 | Edinburgh 1 March 2019 Frank Huysmans professor of library science Media Studies, Fac. of Humanities

LIS and library practice Andrew Dillon (U of Texas Austin) - CoLIS 2007, Borås “LIS schools were accused by leaders of the profession of failing to educate students appropriately for the workplace and of engaging in esoteric and irrelevant research that was out of touch with real world needs” “does LIS research help to answer the big or important information questions of our time?”

LIS and library practice Assist libraries and other information institutions in making our networked knowledge stronger Belief in continued importance of independent, not- for-profit knowledge institutions and workers Research for practice, e.g. public library outcome assessment (methodology) comparative research: comparing library systems

Netherlands The Netherlands: Public Libraries Act as of 1-1-2015 Art. 4: Values independence, reliability, accessibility, pluriformity, authenticity Art. 5: Functions knowledge & information, development & education, reading & literature, encounter & debate, arts & culture Royal Library in The Hague supporting local libraries by developing national programs, a.o. national digital library (incl. e- lending platform) and research programs

Outputs vs Outcomes Source: Huysmans & Oomes (2013)

Outcome assessment in PLs

Outcome assessment in PLs

How comparative research can help Peter J. Lor (2014): comparative librarianship “the area of scholarly study that analyses and explicitly compares library phenomena in two or more countries or in significantly different cultural or societal environments, in terms of contextual factors (social, economic, political, cultural, etc.), in order to distinguish and understand underlying similarities and differences and arrive at valid insights and generalisations”

How comparative research can help describe cases on a predefined set of dimensions get to see each case in horizon of possibilities “Why is it like this, and not different?” See what is deemed ‘naturally’ as contingent And thus as something to be explained

What is going on? cross-cultural comparison of perceived benefits of PL users cf. Vakkari et al. (2016), Journal of Documentation, 72: 2

What is going on? cross-cultural comparison of perceived benefits of PL users cf. Vakkari et al. (2016), Journal of Documentation, 72: 2

What can we learn, and what more? See your ‘own’ PL system as contingent E.g.: choice for PL as e.g. reading promotion agent is choice against PL as activity center (given personnel, space & budget constraints) comparative analysis can be done on lower levels as well (e.g. regions; cities vs countryside; library organizations)

What can we learn, and what more? Maybe the main lesson to be learned from comparative analysis is not the results, but the act of comparing Your library could be different from what it is now! Which forces you to make deliberate choices Which helps in making the case for your library